Play with Me
by Melo Kiwi
Summary: HitsuKarin short story.
1. Part 1

**Short story on HitsuKarin  
Hope you enjoy it :)  
Please leave reviews/comments :3 I appreciate your thoughts on the stories ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach nor any of the characters (all credits go to Tite Kubo)**

* * *

"Wait... What do you mean you're leaving again?" Karin said in a desperate voice.

"I still have a lot of work left to do," Hitsugaya replied. "I have to leave after this."

"But what about tomorrow's game?" Karin exclaimed. "You promised you'd come and play with us!"

"I said I'd try," Hitsugaya replied, sighing and shaking his head.

"Fine..." Karin gave in, "but when will you come back?"

"When my work is done."

"And when will you be done?" Karin asked desperately.

Hitsugaya noticed that since the Thousand Year War ended, Karin had that desperate voice in her. He sighed and said, "I'll finish as fast as I can."

"Really?" Karin still sounded desperate, but also a little bit happy. "You promise?"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied.

Karin seemed to get relieved at this, but she didn't sound very happy when she said "Bye" to him.

* * *

When Hitsugaya came back to Soul Society, he headed straight for the 10th Division quarters. There, he found Matsumoto talking with Ichigo.

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya said slightly surprised. "Why are you here?"

"Matsumoto-san told me to come here because she had a favor to ask," Ichigo replied.

"Your sister is worried about you, so you should head back home soon."

"Ehhh? Taichou! You were with Ichigo's sister?" Matsumoto said.

"I hope you didn't do anything funny," Ichigo said with a serious face.

"Oi," Hitsugaya said with an annoyed tone of voice. "I just played soccer with her and her team because she asked me to." He saw Ichigo's face relax a little and continued. "If you're done here, go back home. She's been waiting for you."

"Yeah yeah, I'm on my way," Ichigo replied. "See you later, Matsumoto-san, Toushiro."

Hitsugaya sighed and frowned. _Is he really going to keep calling me so casually?_

"Ta-i-chou!" Matsumoto called him. "If you keep frowning like that, you'll get wrinkles!"

Hitsugaya frowned even more. Then he looked at the pile of papers on his desk and said, "Matsumoto... I told you to finish the paperwork before I got back."

"But Taichou~! I had to talk to Ichigo!" Matsumoto said, complaining.

"What did you have to talk to him about?"

"I needed to ask him to bring some cosmetics from the real world next time he came," Matsumoto said with a happy voice, laughing goofily at the thought of having new cosmetics.

"MATSUMOTO!" Hitsugaya snapped at his lieutenant's carefree attitude.

"Taichou~ Don't get so mad!" she said to try to calm down her Captain.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Just get the paperwork done with now."

"Ehhhhh..." Despite her complaints, Matsumoto hurried to finish the paperwork she had to do.

When they finished all their work, it was already way past midnight. Hitsugaya stretched his arms and legs and yawned. Then he turned to look at Matsumoto, who was already asleep on the couch. He walked up to her and put a blanket on her. Then he left the room. He went to the 13th Division's quarters, where Rukia was still working on some papers. Rukia noticed the presence and looked up.

"Hitsugaya Taichou," she said in surprise.

"Kuchiki," Hitsugaya said.

"What brings you here?"

"Just checking things out," he replied. "You should sleep."

"I still have some things to take care of," Rukia said looking at the pile of papers.

"I'll take care of it," Hitsugaya said walking towards the desk where Rukia was.

"Taichou!" Rukia started to complain. "I'm fine so—"

"Kuchiki," he said, "Ukitake used to treat me like a son. I hate to admit it, but he was a father-figure for me, so let me do this."

Rukia had never seen such a soft side of the white-haired captain, but she understood what he was saying. "Hai."

It was daybreak, and Hitsugaya had just finished the paperwork of the 13th Division, when he saw a big figure approach him.

"Hitsugaya Taichou," the man said, "how come you're here?"

"Kyoraku So-taichou," Hitsugaya said in slight astonishment. "I was helping Kuchiki with the paperwork."

"You have a pretty soft side too, don't you?" Kyoraku teased him a little bit.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Anyways, how's Ukitake?"

"He hasn't woken up yet," Kyoraku said with a depressed voice, "but the doctors say that as long as he still has the live to will, he will wake up anytime."

Hitsugaya seemed relieved to hear this. "Let's hope he wakes up soon."

"Yeah," Kyoraku said. "We need him."

After a few seconds of silence, Hitsugaya stood up.

"Going back to your office?" Kyoraku asked him.

"No," the younger captain replied. "I'm going to Karakura."

"Eh?" Kyoraku was surprised.

"I just need to take care of something really fast," was all Hitsugaya said.

Kyoraku smiled. "Well," he said, handing out a paper to Hitsugaya, "I was going to send you to Karakura today either way. You can just start your mission now."

"Yes."

As Hitsugaya was heading towards the gate to the real world, he read the paper that Kyoraku had given him. His mission was simple, but he was somewhat irritated by it. _Why do I have to babysit..._ He thought to himself.

"Hitsugaya Toushiro, Captain of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13, is now to observe the growth of reiatsu in Kurosaki Karin and Kurosaki Yuzu, who are experiencing a significant change due to Kurosaki Ichigo's exceeding reiatsu."

Hitsugaya sighed. _I guess I_ _'_ _ll be stuck playing soccer again._

* * *

When he arrived at Karakura Town, he went to Urahara's shop for his gigai. Then he went for a walk in a park nearby. There he found Karin in her school uniform, kicking a soccer ball. For a few minutes, he just stood there looking at what the girl was doing. He noticed something was different about the way she was acting, but he couldn't quite point his finger at it. After a few minutes of observing her, he decided to talk to her.

"Yo, Kurosaki," he said.

"Toushiro!" she exclaimed, half surprised, half relieved.

"Why are you in the park kicking the ball so early in the morning?"

"Why are you here so early? Did you finish all your paperwork? Now that I look at you, you look really tired! Did you get any sleep at all? You should go to my house and get some sleep! I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind. Ohh wait... You probably don't have any time do you? Are you here on a mission?"

Hitsugaya was surprised at the number of questions that the girl just asked him, but he tried to answer them all.

"I spent the whole night working on the papers, so I didn't get any sleep, but I don't need to sleep. I'm not that tired. And yes, I am on a mission."

"Ohh..." Karin said. She definitely was acting weird lately, and even more today.

"You shouldn't be worrying about me," Hitsugaya said, looking at her eyes. "You look horrible. Did you even sleep?"

"Hey!" Karin exclaimed, a little angry that he had said she looked horrible and a little embarrassed by how he was looking at her. "It's not my fault! I couldn't sleep..."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Don't you have school today?"

"Oh!" Karin exclaimed, remembering she had to go. "That's right! I should leave now." She turned around and started walking away, but Hitsugaya grabbed her arm.

"Just go back home, you idiot," he told her.

"Wha-"

"You're tired," he said sighing. "You won't be able to concentrate in your classes even if you go."

"But I can't skip school just like that!" she said. "It's okay. I may look tired, but I'm okay. I'll get through the day." She somehow managed to free herself from his strong grip and said, "Bye, Toushiro!" before leaving the park.

 _I seriously have to babysit this stubborn brat,_ Hitsugaya thought to himself and gave a long sigh. _This is going to be interesting._ His mouth moved up in a little grin.

Karin arrived at her classroom a minute before the bell rang, and Yuzu made a big fuss about Karin being almost late. Then, their homeroom teacher came in and announced the arrival of a transfer student.

"Please, come in."

The door opened, and Karin's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the familiar white-haired, turquoise-eyed Shinigami (inside a gigai).

"Please introduce yourself," the teacher said.

"Hitsugaya Toushiro," he said. "Nice to meet you all."

There was an eerie silence when he finished speaking.

"Alright, Hitsugaya-kun," the teacher said, trying to lighten the mood. "Go sit in the empty seat by the window."

 _What?_ Karin thought. _That_ _'_ _s next to me!_ She started getting self-conscious as Hitsugaya walked towards her (well, towards his new seat, but whatever, you get my point).

"Kurosaki Karin," the teacher said. "Please share your books with the new students for today."

"Ye-yes," she replied.

Hitsugaya moved his table next to hers so that they were right next to each other.

"I'm counting on you," he told her with a smile she had never seen before.

"Y-yeah..." was all she could say.

The bell rang for lunch, and Hitsugaya approached Karin, who was about to leave the classroom.

"Kurosaki," he said.

"Call me Karin," she said. "There's four of us you know... You can't call all four of us the same."

"O-okay..." Hitsugaya said, a little surprised. "Karin..." he said awkwardly.

Karin smiled at his awkwardness. She found it cute. "Do you need something?"

"Show me around the school."

"Wha-" she exclaimed. "Why me?"

"I don't know anyone else."

"Oh.. But..." she said, a little embarrassed at the thought of spending lunch alone with him. "Umm..."

"If you don't want to, that's fine," he said. He started walking out the door.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "I'll show you around, but let's get some food first."

"Sure."

Karin briefly and generally explained the general structure of the school and some details of some of the rooms that he would be using. The whole time, Karin kept glancing at Hitsugaya, and she felt so self-conscious that when he returned her gaze, she immediately looked a different direction.

 _Why am I being so self-conscious? Geez,_ Karin told herself. _Relax! He_ _'_ _s here on a mission, and he_ _'_ _s going to leave again when he_ _'_ _s done... Wait! Why do I even care so much whether he leaves or stays? Aaargh..._

"-at okay?" she heard him ask her something, but didn't quite understand.

"Huh?"

"Why are you spacing out when I'm talking to you?" he said a little irritated.

"Ahh... Sorry... I was just..." she blushed a little bit.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Whatever. Anyways," he said, ready to repeat the question. "I need a place to stay, so is it okay if I stay at your house?"

"Ehh?" Karin said, blushing. "Ahh... Yeah... Sure."

"You don't sound so sure," Hitsugaya said.

"Well," Karin replied, thinking of an excuse, "I don't know if there's room for you except for the couch..."

"I'm fine sleeping in the couch."

"Oh," she said. "Okay... Then it's fine."

"Wasn't there a soccer match today?" he asked her.

"Oh yeah!" she said as if she had completely forgotten about it. "I should hurry up or I'll be late!" After saying this, she ran out of the school, and he followed her.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it! I'll upload part two soon, so stay tuned! And please please tell me what you think about it hehe :)**


	2. Part 2

**So here's part 2 :) This is the "last" part to this short story, but depending on the reaction I might add a couple more extra chapters :)**

 **Enjooy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor any of the characters. All credits go to Tite Kubo.**

* * *

When Hitsugaya arrived home with Karin after the soccer match, Yuzu was in the kitchen cooking and Ichigo was in the living room watching tv.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu yelled when she saw Hitsugaya and Karin arrive together. "Look! Karin brought her boyfriend over!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Karin yelled. "Anyways, Toushiro doesn't have a place to stay, so he'll be staying here."

Ichigo turned around when Karin mentioned the familiar name. "Toushiro!" Ichigo exclaimed. "Why are you with my sisters?"

Hitsugaya walked towards Ichigo and whispered, "I'm on a mission, and I need a place to stay. I'm counting on you."

Ichigo sighed. "You're sleeping on the couch."

"Yeah, I know," Hitsugaya said.

Then, someone came running into the house and tried to kick Ichigo's head. Ichigo easily blocked him and threw him on the floor.

"Old man!" Ichigo yelled angrily. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to train my son to be more manly!" Kurosaki Isshin yelled. Then he looked up and saw Hitsugaya, and his eyes opened wide in surprise. Hitsugaya was also wide-eyed at the sight of his former captain.

"Wha-" Hitsugaya started speaking, but Isshin covered his mouth and took him outside of the house.

* * *

Once they were outside, Isshin started speaking.

"Why are you here?"

"That's what I want to ask you," Hitsugaya said with wide eyes.

"I have a family here, in case you haven't noticed."

"I noticed that," Hitsugaya said, "but what I'm asking is why you just disappeared like that and never came back."

"Well..." Isshin told him everything that had happened with Masaki.

"I see..." Hitsugaya said. "But what a surprise. I never expected Kurosaki to be your son, of all people. His mother must have been very responsible."

"Wha-" Isshin dropped his head, admitting that he wasn't very responsible at times. "Anyways, why are YOU here?"

"On a mission."

"What is it?" Isshin asked in curiosity.

Hitsugaya hesitated in telling him, but he knew Isshin would keep bugging him until he told him. He sighed and said, "I have to babysit your daughters."

"What? My precious daughters? Why, if their dad is completely capable of doing so?!"

"Your son's reiatsu is affecting the two of them, particularly Karin, to the point that she can clearly see the hollows and us, Shinigami," Hitsugaya replied.

"Yeah," Isshin said, getting more serious. "I have noticed Karin staring at places where hollows appear with a frown on her face."

"So Kyoraku So-taichou asked me to keep an eye on them."

They went back to the house after their talk, and Karin and Yuzu were surprised at the rather passive reaction that their dad had after hearing Hitsugaya was staying with them.

* * *

The next few days were really calm: Hitsugaya would go to school with Karin and Yuzu, and he would stay home the rest of the day. He was really surprised that Karin hadn't asked him to play soccer with her.

One day, Hitsugaya saw Karin leaving the house with a soccer ball without even asking him to play with her. He was a little concerned, because she normally would have asked him countless times to play at least once, so he decided to go after her and ask her.

"Karin!" he called her.

"Huh?" she turned around. "Toushiro? Do you need something?"

"Ah..." he said, trying to think of how to ask her. _Why do I even care whether she asks me or not? It_ _'_ _s actually better if she doesn_ _'_ _t ask me to play with her, since it saves me some trouble,_ he thought to himself. "It's nothing," he finally told her.

"Oh," she said, a little disappointed. "Okay... I'm leaving then."

Hitsugaya knew something was wrong with her, so he decided to follow her in secret.

"Kurosaki!" one of the guys in the park said. "You're late!"

"Yeah, sorry," Karin said. Then they started playing soccer.

Karin was not running as fast nor kicking the ball as hard as before, and Hitsugaya noticed that she constantly stopped and stretched her right leg. Then a few guys from another school came to the same park and challenged Karin and her friends to a soccer match.

"Bring it on!" Karin said, like her usual self. Hearing her talk like this again, Hitsugaya was a little bit relieved but still decided to keep watching her a little bit longer.

Ten minutes into the game, the two teams were still tied, and Karin called for a time out.

"What's wrong, Kurosaki?" one of Karin's friends asked her.

"I just need a few seconds of rest, that's it." Karin didn't sound tired, but it seemed like she was in pain.

"Are you sure you can keep playing?" another friend asked her.

"Yeah," she said, putting up a big (and fake) smile. "This is nothing!"

Then Hitsugaya walked up to Karin and said, "Karin, you go and sit down. I'll play."

"Toushiro!" Karin exclaimed in surprise. "You don't have to! I can play!"

"Just go and sit," he said loudly, almost yelling.

Karin was surprised and was about to protest, but a sharp pain ran through her ankle, so she did as he told her and said, "Thanks."

Thanks to Hitsugaya, Karin's team won 5-0, and everyone in Karin's team begged Hitsugaya to join the team. Karin saw Hitsugaya was starting to lose his patience, so she grabbed his arm and walked away saying, "Sorry! We have to go somewhere!"

They were going back home, Karin walking (more like dragging her right leg) in front of Hitsugaya, and she felt a cold gaze on her. She finally turned around.

"Why are you staring me?" she asked. Then she realized he was frowning even more than usual.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" he asked in an angry voice.

"It's not like you asked. And plus, why would I tell you? What are you? My babysitter?" she was getting a little irritated why his tone of voice.

"YES," he yelled, losing his composure. Then he sighed, and with a calmer voice said, "Sorry for yelling. Anyways, I'm supposed to be looking after you and your sister, so if you're hurt, tell me. Okay?"

"But why do you have to look after us? My stupid father and Ichi-nii are here," Karin asked in curiosity.

"Orders from the Captain-commander," was all Hitsugaya said. "Let's go." He crouched in front of Karin.

"Ehh?" Karin was confused.

"You hurt your leg, right? I'll carry you."

"Wha-what? N-no! That's fine! I can walk!" Karin was stuttering her words.

"No, you can't. You can barely stand. Now get on my back before I carry you on my shoulders," Hitsugaya said with a gentleness Karin had never heard from him.

"O-okay..." she answered after much hesitation.

She got on Hitsugaya's back and realized it was warmer than what she thought. "Toushiro," she called him so softly that had she not been physically so close to him, he wouldn't have heard her.

"Hm?" he answered.

"If you're here keeping an eye on me and Yuzu, that means you'll be here for a while and not just a couple of days, right?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I'll be here for a while."

"Heh," Karin laughed. "I'm glad."

"What?" Hitsugaya stopped walking, taken aback by what Karin had said.

"Ahh!" Karin exclaimed, realizing what she had said out loud. "I mean.. Uhh..."

"Don't say anything else," Hitsugaya said and started walking again. _I can_ _'_ _t listen to her any more than this... I_ _'_ _ll lose control of myself... Wait, control of what? This makes no sense..._

"I'm sorry," Karin said gloomily.

"Huh? For what?" Hitsugaya was confused.

"I've been acting weird, and it's probably worrying you. I'm sorry," she said.

Hitsugaya sighed and smiled. "Don't apologize." After a few minutes of silence, he said, "I'm glad too."

"Huh?" Karin said. Hitsugaya felt that she had tilted her head in confusion.

"I mean," Hitsugaya blushed to the point that Karin could see him getting red, even though she was on his back. Hitsugaya cleared his throat a couple times. "I'm also glad that I can be here longer."

Karin smiled. "So you do have a soft side too, hehe," she said as she giggled.

"Wha-" Hitsugaya said, blushing a little bit more. "What do you take me for?"

Karin giggled more. "You're just not as cold as you make others believe."

"That's because I'm with you," he blurted out. He stopped walking when he realized what he was saying.

"To-Toushiro?" Karin said, her whole face turning red from his comment.

"I can't take it anymore!" Hitsugaya said as he gently put her down. Then he turned around and looked into her confused eyes. "Karin, I love you."

Karin just stared, more confused than she had ever been in her life, and she was silent for a long time. "Huh?" she finally managed to say.

"I love you," Hitsugaya said blushing. "Don't make me repeat myself a third time."

"This must be a dream!" Karin exclaimed and pinched herself. "This is a dream..."

"What are you talking about?" Hitsugaya almost yelled, putting Karin's arms down so that she would stop pinching herself. "I'm standing right in front of you, and this is not a dream!"

"But..." Karin said, blushing. "There's no way this is actually happening... I can't believe it... The Toushiro I know wouldn't tell me he loves me, so this has to be a dre—"

Hitsugaya stopped Karin's words with a kiss. Karin stared wide-eyed.

"Now do you believe me?" Hitsugaya shyly said after pulling his lips away from hers.

"To-Toushiro," Karin called his name, face red from the kiss.

"Yes?" Hitsugaya said, his lips curled up in a warm smile Karin had never seen before.

"Is this really not a dream?" Karin asked, half happy half afraid.

He got closer to her and hugged her. "I promise."

She just stood there frozen, not knowing what to do or say.

"So?" Hitsugaya finally said, now looking at her blushing face again.

"Wha-what?" Karin asked, her face reddening even more at his intense stare.

"Are you not going to say anything to me?" he asked with a grin.

"Sa-say what?" Karin asked nervously.

"I haven't heard your answer," Hitsugaya said, still grinning.

"M-my answer to what?" Karin tried playing dumb. She was too embarrassed to say the words.

"You know what I'm talking about," Hitsugaya said mischievously. "How do you feel about me?"

"I-I..." Karin couldn't get enough courage to say it, even though he had already said it.

"You what?" Hitsugaya said, anxious to hear her say those three words.

"I..." Karin closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "I love you!" she said louder than necessary.

"Heh," Hitsugaya laughed teasingly. "I know," he said and kissed her again.

"You meanie..." Karin muttered.

* * *

 **AAAAAAAND that's it hehe**

 **Karin and Toushiro are honestly one of the cutest couples in Bleach (yes.. I know they're not really a real couple :'c)**

 **Hope you enjoyed it :) Please leave reviews and comments~ (that's what will determine whether I post a little more on this story or not).**


	3. Announcement

**Hi~! :)**

 **I haven't been posting because school started and I've been really busy :'c**

 **BUT! I have started some extra chapters for "Play With Me" that I will post some time as a different story, so stay tuned!**


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